Malliotakis Slams on the Brakes on Congestion Plan Fiasco

Excuses Akin to the Dog Ate My Homework

Malliotakis: private sector would have handed Mayor a “pink slip”

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, the real Republican in the race for Mayor, today blasted Bill de Blasio and his administration for passing the buck on creating a working traffic congestion plan after nearly 3 ½ years in office. Calling his excuses, “akin to a 5th grader saying the dog ate his homework” Malliotakis called on the Mayor to “stop with the excuse and start working to end the traffic jams that are crippling our city.”

In late January, on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show” the Mayor deBlasio stated “We see a huge congestion problem in other parts of the city, most notoriously Midtown Manhattan. In the coming weeks we’re going to come out with a bigger plan to address congestion and Staten Island will certainly be part of that plan, so I’m just going to put a bookmark on that one.”

Now, nearly 18 weeks later there is no sign of a plan and on Monday, the city’s Commissioner of Transportation, Polly Trottenberg, while giving testimony to the City Council stated, “The congestion plan, it turns out, is going to be kind of a rolling plan.”

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis said, “When, after supposed months of work, the city’s Transportation Commissioner admits that the administration’s much vaunted plan ‘is going to be a kind of rolling plan’, it’s akin to a 5th grader saying the dog ate his homework.

“It’s become obvious that this is just another problem that the Mayor seems incapable of dealing with. Bill de Blasio seems intent on letting New York City motorists spend another sweltering summer in bumper to bumper traffic while he speeds around town in a police escorted SUV and when traffic grinds to a halt, he commandeers an NYPD helicopter to whisk him to his destination.

“Once again Mayor de Blasio is treating outer borough motorists as second class citizens while focusing his efforts on fixing Manhattan’s infamous gridlock. This time, he also has the chutzpah to pass the buck and attempt to place the blame on the state senate in Albany. When will he understand that New Yorkers are tired of him continually blaming others for his own lack of leadership and, when will Mayor de Blasio learn that part of being an elected official is being accountable and admitting when you’ve failed to do your job. The Mayor has to stop with the excuses and start working to end the traffic jams that are crippling our city.

“As Mayor, I will focus on:

Upgrading our outdated, pre-set traffic light system to Smart Traffic Light technology that determines the sequence of traffic with real-time information, collected by sensors along the route.

Conduct an analysis on outer borough Ticket-Cams to remove those that are merely revenue generators; strategically placed to be traps that nickel and dime motorists. While focusing revenues derived from the remaining Ticket-Cams into a dedicated fund for congestion mitigation projects.

Investing in capital plan to upgrade subway signals that date to pre World War II era, so as to mitigate delays, add frequency and minimize crowding.

Scrap parts of Vision Zero that have crippled traffic flow, like reduction of speed limit to 25 mph on major boulevards and avenues.

Limit amount of Uber and other ridesharing vehicles allowed in the city. There were 30,000 such vehicles in 2015, today there a 55,000 adding to the city’s congestion.

Increase ferry service routes to more distant points in the outer boroughs while pressing the MTA and Port Authority for more regional high speed ferries for commuters from New Jersey, Connecticut and the Hudson Valley.

“On issue after issue, Bill de Blasio and his administration have failed to get the job done. If he had a record like this in the private sector he would have been handed a pink slip a longtime ago.”

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, the Republican nominee or mayor, will hold a news conference at 10:00 am on Monday, August 14th on the steps of City Hall. Assemblywoman Malliotakis will release her Treatment B4 Crisis Plan to help New York City’s mentally ill. WHO: Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis WHERE: The steps of New York’s City Hall WHEN: […]